Hate Crime Statistics: 62% Against Latinos

The numbers say it all. According to the latest report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in 2007 the agency reported 9,006 hate crimes motivated by race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or religious beliefs. The report includes the reports of local, state and federal agencies.

Here are the statistics:

• 61.7% of all reported crimes motivated by ethnicity or nationality were against Latinos. Compared to 51.5% in 2004, the figure represents an increase of 10%.
• Of the total cases reported, 50% of them were motivated by racial discrimination, 18.4% by religious bias, 16. 6% based on sexual orientation and 13.2% by nationality and ethnic origin. Only 1% reported a physical disability discrimination.
• Authorities identified the 6,965 perpetrators of these crimes, of which 62.9% were white and 20.8% African American.
• 3,579 reported crimes against property. 81.4% were acts of vandalism that mostly ended in total or partial destruction of private property. While the rest by 18.6% of hate crimes reported to the authorities were mostly burglaries and stolen vehicles.
• The states which experienced the biggest cases of hate crimes were California, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Virginia.
• 30.5% of the incidents occurred in or near the homes of the victims, 18.9% took place in streets, alleys or highways, 11.3% occurred at schools and colleges, 6% in parking lots and garages, and 4.1% in churches, temples and synagogues. The other incidents occurred at sites not specified by the victims
• Of the cases reported, 5,408 were crimes aimed directly at individuals, a 47.4% were just bullying, a 31.1% had some type of aggression, and 20.6% were committed with extreme violence. Nine people were murdered victims of hate crimes.

Expediente Rojo Project (Code Red), is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing the Latino community with information about crime in their communities. Visit Expediente Rojo’s website, follow them on Facebook or on Twitter @Expediente_Rojo